Debate over Metung marina development

The Metung Community Development Group is proposing alternative plans for the town's marina, citing dissatisfaction with East Gippsland Shire Council's plans. The group's proposal will be put to the Metung community at a public meeting this Sunday.

Metung Community Development Group members say council's proposed development for the marina doesn't cater for the needs of locals and is too large.

"It intrudes far too far into Bancroft Bay. It will visually dominate the area as you drive into Metung from either direction. It totally disenfranchises the yacht club. They're catering for the wrong sought of boats," says Peter Leroy, chairman of the group.

The development group is proposing to move the wave wall for the existing marina out five metres and to build on the existing berths in the marina, costing an estimated $3 million.

"We save money in the short term by leaving the protection we get from that wave wall, it means that the inner jetty won't need to be touched for 5 to 10 years," says Mr Leroy.

Both council and the Metung Community Development Group agree that the marina needs to be updated.

"The marina as it currently is about 50 years old. It's been allowed to run down to the point that it's nearly unusable," says Mr Leroy.

East Gippsland Shire Council announced plans to develop the Metung marina in 2010 and since then has been unsuccessful in securing funds for the project.

The project is a $12 million staged development, the first stage costing $3 million.

"As we've been unsuccessful gaining outside funding. We would fund that from within rate payer based monies, so we would develop stage one. Once that's taken up by the market we would then develop stage two from the monies raised from that," says Dick Ellis, Mayor of East Gippsland Shire Council.

The Mayor says council has completed business cases and market research for the development.

"One must acknowledge that the Gippsland Lakes are a hidden gem and many people in the boating world are not aware of what we have to offer," says Mr Ellis.

John Miles, a real estate agent in Metung of 30 years, says there isn't a market for what council is proposing.

"We're not seeing larger berths being looked at in Metung, it's more the person who's coming into Metung to retire, they don't want a 24 or 18 metre berth out there for their boat because they've already got their house in Metung. The shire is using rate payers money and I think it's a gamble ," he says.

Cam Johns, a boat charter operator in the area agrees with Mr Miles, he says tourists won't be attracted to the area with bigger berths in the marina.

"It's really not a tourism type development and I hope that aspect is not used as an argument for a development such as this," he says.

Some locals are also worried that a bigger marina will ruin the aesthetics of the town.

"It was the visual aspect of Metung that sold Metung to us and that's the sort of comment you get back from a lot of the tourists too, it's that visual impact and the quietness of the village that attracts the tourists and we've got to try and save that aspect of Metung," says Helen Keely, a shop owner in Metung.

Graeme Aldersea and his wife own a hotel in Metung, he is also a ship wright.

He says he is worried about the environmental impact of attracting bigger boats to the area.

"The bigger boats push up a bigger wake particularly around Mosquito Point area and this marina area... When they steam along at about ten knots they push up an enormous wake that causes a lot of boat damage and erosion," he says.